Aiden Markram addresses the media after South Africa’s one-run win against Nepal in the T20 World Cup.
South Africa scraped through their final group game against Nepal by one run.
We discussed the contest – what we felt went wrong and what went well in our review.
Aiden Markram spoke honestly about the game. Check out his post-match presser below.
[Reporter:]
It was a thrilling, tense finish. 115 runs midway. What were your thoughts?
[Aiden Markram:]
We weren’t overly chuffed at the halfway stage. Pretty much as a whole tonight, I thought we were nowhere near our best. We just lacked a bit of intensity and conviction in how we want to play and in our game plans and things like that. But like I mentioned out on the field you have to give a lot of credit to the Nepal team. They put us under a lot of pressure, they showed the quality that they are and have in their change room and made life really difficult for us. So, we’ll take lots of learnings from a night like this, as I’m sure they would and they’ll also take a lot of confidence from really having us on the ropes.
[Reporter:]
Eight of the final over and two then of the last two balls, what are the thoughts going in your mind?
[Aiden Markram:]
I mean we’ve all watched this game enough, we know funny things can happen. Ultimately you commit to a ball that you want to bowl with your bowler and you try to execute it as best as you could. I thought Bartman executed his last two balls really well to keep us in the game but a funny ending to how it all finished. Sometimes you just become very grateful to get random victories like that.
[Reporter:]
Thoughts on Nepal? They have a very passionate fan base as you might have seen even today. They were really loud and in their numbers today. You think they really have the potential to go further in their cricketing pursuits?
[Aiden Markram:]
Absolutely. We’ve seen it now over the last year or two specifically. We’re at the same hotel as them. They’re a great bunch of guys, very friendly, very respectful. And I think the way that they’ve approached their game and the cricket that they’re playing results in them getting a fantastic fan base. The players have deserved it and to add on to that it’s fantastic to see the fans buying into it as well. I don’t know too much about Nepal cricket, but looking at it from an outside point of view, I would say it’s in a really great place and really exciting times ahead for them.
[Reporter:]
You have a fantastic bowling attack, but Tabraiz took four wickets for you. Were you relying heavily on your paces or were you mixing up with the spinners to do the job for you? Because Tabraiz took four wickets for you, Is the performance of the quickies up to your expectations?
[Aiden Markram:]
Yeah, I think they bowled well. I think once again we didn’t give them the total they might have liked to defend. So, you do have to be really appreciative that they’ve kept us in the game and managed to get it down to the last over. Our fast-bowling unit has been bowling really well this competition and you want to back that and give them the freedom and let them sort of feel that they can win you games on any wicket really. So, I thought they bowled well tonight. Shamsi was excellent. It’s fantastic to have him back in the team to get an opportunity to get some time in the middle and to bowl the way he did. So, from a bowling point of view, not too many concerns, but a lot of learning can take place in the other two facets, I feel.
[Reporter:]
Still on tonight, but just a different topic. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, their first game under light ever. You have played around the world. Can you just tell us your thoughts on the quality of the lighting and what you think of the facility?
[Aiden Markram:]
Yeah, I’ve got nothing bad to say about it. Everything was really good. I thought both scores were under par with the bats. I don’t think the wicket reflects the scores that were scored on that pitch. The lights seemed really good. All in all, I would say a massive tick in the box for the stadium and the facility.
[Reporter:]
What was South Africa’s strategy in the last over?
[Aiden Markram:]
To keep it really simple, we thought if we were still hitting a hard length the odd one would shoot low and we could we could keep the stumps in play. I didn’t want to go us to go too full so that if we missed it became an easy hit so sticking to that hard length and using the short ball as we did to our advantage and just getting the timing right with bowling the short one as well. Pretty straightforward. I don’t think it was necessarily a death plan. It was your simple middle overs plan that we felt that will work best on that pitch.
[Reporter:]
Captain, it was Maharaj in the last game that won the match for you and it was Shamsi today but you only have a place for one spinner considering your pace attack. Is it a selection headache to have? Are you happy with that? Or how tough is it to select the team?
[Aiden Markram:]
Yeah, for sure. Moving forward, if conditions are going to be like that, we’d love to pick the both of them so obviously I’ve explained the reasons behind the switch for the two of them to give Shamsi some game time but if we could still the wickets to be playing like that, we back the both of them to be in our 11 and to make a massive impact for us.
[Reporter:]
Aiden last question, thoughts on Super Eights South Africa once again doing really well and this game perhaps can really lift the team in a way as well because you’ve had a close win which we have always heard bring teams together. So, thoughts on Super Eights and a shot at the trophy. What is the dream?
[Aiden Markram:]
It is the dream, 100%. You take it game by game and you compete as hard and as best as you can. And you ultimately see where it gets you. But I’m looking forward to that phase now of the competition. Really grateful that we are in the Super Eights and hoping that we can put a more complete game of cricket together now that we move forward to the business end of the competition.
